Palestinian Authority media, including newspapers and television stations controlled by PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, have been singing the praises of mass murderers Samir Kuntar and Dalal Mughrabi in recent days, according to the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

The PA media have characterized these two terrorists as personifying the ideal hero that a child growing up in the Palestinian Authority should hope to become someday.

Until this past Tuesday night, Kuntar was serving four life sentences in an Israeli prison for the brutal murders of a four-year-old child, her father and a police officer, and the death of the girl's two-year-old sister. In a 1979 attack on Nahariya, Kuntar first killed policeman Eliahu Shachar, then murdered Danny Haran before smashing his small daughter’s skull with his rifle butt and rocks. Little Einat’s baby sister also died, accidentally suffocated by her terrified mother, trying to keep the girl quiet as they hid during the attack.

Kuntar was freed by Israel on Wednesday morning in order to gain the return of IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, kidnapped by Hizbullah terrorists in a cross-border raid that ignited the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Both soldiers were returned dead.

Dalal Mughrabi, whose body was also handed back to Lebanon as part of the exchange for Goldwasser and Regev, led the worst terror attack in the history of Israel. In a 1978 bus hijacking known as the Coastal Road massacre, 37 people, including 13 children and many tourists, were murdered. Before attacking the bus, Mughrabi and her cohorts also murdered photographer Gail Rubin as she took nature photos on the beach.

Public Congratulations and Blessings from AbbasPA TV and the Al-Hayat Al-Jadida newspaper both recorded blessings and congratulations to the returning terrorists. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida published a statement by official Fatah spokesman Ahmad Abdul-Rahman on Thursday, who said, “the Fatah movement sends warm blessings to Hizbullah, to all the resistance [terror forces –ed.] and to the Lebanese nation, and the Palestinians for their historic victory over the Israeli arrogance in their victorious July War…"

‘And on the return of the heroes of freedom, the heroes and the Martyrs, headed by the great Samir Kuntar and the martyr fighter Dalal Mughrabi, who led the most glorified sacrifice action in the history of the Palestinian-Israeli struggle... The Fatah party… vows to the Palestinian people that Fatah will continue to struggle in the way of the pure Martyrs, until the state is liberated and the Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as the capital. The Fatah movement turns on this day that abounds with sincere blessings to Hizbullah."

“The battle against the theft of Palestine is the battle of all the fighters and all the Arab nations. Blessings to the free heroes and their head, the heroic fighter Samir Kuntar, and blessings to the spirit of the heroic Dalal Mughrabi and to the friends of the heroes. President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated yesterday’s exchange of prisoners and bodies of Martyrs. The president sent blessings to Samir Kuntar’s family.”

Israel Continues to Ease Restrictions for PA ArabsDespite continued murderous terror attacks on Israeli civilians, the IDF last month announced the implementation of a plan to further ease restrictions for PA Arabs in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

The number of PA workers allowed into pre-1967 Israel was increased by 40 percent, overnight worker permits were issued to 5,000 PA workers, and 500 permits were issued to senior PA businessmen.

Four central checkpoints were removed:• Rimonim, allowing free passage between Ramallah and the Jordan Valley• Asira Ash-Shamaliya, north of Shechem, allowing passage between Shechem and northern Samaria• Beit Ha’Arava between Jericho and the Dead Sea• Sheep Junction, allowing passage between Hevron and the adjacent southern Hevron Hills villages.

Since the beginning of May, approximately 100 temporary and permanent checkpoints and roadblocks were removed, further facilitating free movement between PA Arab villages and pre-1967 Israel.

The number of trucks transferring merchandise and goods from Shechem to Efraim Gate was doubled. In addition, 150 agricultural vehicles were permitted to travel from northern Samaria to the Jordan Valley and the validity of NGO (non-government organization) workers permits was doubled.

Seven new PA police stations have been opened, including three in Tulkarem, two in Ramallah, one in Kalkilya and one in Shechem, with 13 more planned.

Trilateral PA-Israel-US Talks Set for Washington July 30PA negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters Thursday night that his team will meet with Israeli negotiators in trilateral talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later this month. Erekat said chief PA negotiator Ahmed Qureia and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni would meet with Rice on July 30 to continue final status talks.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Aryeh Mekel claimed he had no knowledge of the plans.